Doom Eternal cranks the dial to 11, throws gas on the fire, puts the pedal to the metal. Pick any cliche metaphor you want: Doom Eternal holds its slayer horns high and proud, refining just about everything Doom 2016 did well. It’s tense, frantic, and absolutely transcendent. Doom Eternal is metal as f***.

To sum it all up. As good as the flat version of the remake of Resident Evil 4 is, the VR version is the superior way to the play the game.

Resident Evil Requiem amalgamates its two entities into a cohesive, demonic monster, resulting in one of the series’ most complete entries to date. From its tense, immersive exploration that highlights vulnerability to its visceral combat that revels in brutality, it delivers a nightmare that feels both refined and feral. A masterpiece in horror, and an early Game of the Year contender.

When you combine the great music, voice work, and amazing physics based pinball action with a great theme like Star Wars you get greatness in a product like this.

Gran Turismo 7 is the best driving game I’ve ever played. Period. It’s not a hardcore simulation of the likes of Assetto Corsa Competizione or iRacing, but for my money, I now prefer Gran Turismo. It’s the ultimate celebration of something that’s part of Kazunori Yamauchi’s very being and an incredible effort to bring his love for automobiles to the world. See you on the starting line.

It is everything I could have hoped for in a remake as it has gameplay that doesn’t feel dated, it has spectacular HD graphics, it improves most of the problems from the original, and it incorporates fantastic use of the Wii U GamePad. Other than a few frame rate issues I find very little fault with this game as it feels almost perfect, which is why I highly recommend Wind Waker HD to any Wii U owner and Zelda fan alike.

Gears of War 4 doesn't reinvent the formula but it definitely brings enough improvements without changing the core feel of Gears. With stellar production values, incredible action, series' best multiplayer, engaging new characters, and an introductory story that should satisfy new players and returning fans alike, Gears of War 4 may just be your new favorite Gears game. It's certainly mine.

I could summarize The Frozen Wilds in three simple words — it’s more Horizon — and that would be enough for some, but that simple sales pitch really doesn’t do the whole thing justice. The Cut is equally beautiful and treacherous, the struggle of the Banuk is fascinating, and the new machines lining this new world are awesome to take on. The Frozen Wilds sets Aloy in a clear new direction while maintaining the same excellent gameplay we loved back in February, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.

There are no paper cuts in store for you here. Paper Mario: The Origami King is as smooth as butter. I expected an epic journey as the franchise has provided in the past, but I had no clue I would fall in love with this game as much as I have. If you’re a Switch owner, you can’t miss it. And if you’ve been on the fence about purchasing one, The Origami King proves the grass really is greener on the other side. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems hooked Paper Mario up to the defibrillator, delivered 3000 volts to his chest, and now I’m here to tell you - Our boy is gonna live!

This is the game that makes spending that hard earned money on a next-generation console worth it.

What Bungie has accomplished with The Final Shape in the face of tremendous hurdles and unreasonable expectations is nothing short of remarkable. It’s a powerful and satisfying story, with the mechanics, art, design, and polish to back it up. This is Bungie’s best work in the Destiny era, and sets a lofty new bar for live service expansions. In a challenging market, Bungie have proven they’re still among the best in the business. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

DrinkBox has really outdone themselves, and have made an absolute classic.

If you don’t own any PlayStation consoles and this is your first chance to play God of War, then this is your call to action. It’s worth it: there’s a reason everyone was obsessed with this game. God of War lives up to the hype, and it hasn’t aged since its release. All the reasons God of War was so good the first time around haven’t gone anywhere. I’m glad Sony Santa Monica released God of War on PC. The more people who can play God of War, the better.

I’m having so much fun with Sparking Zero. It’s essentially everything I want in a Dragon Ball game. There’s more than enough content to keep you busy at launch, but it’s exciting to think about what Spike Chunsoft will add down the road. For coverage on Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s future content, stay tuned to COGconnected.

Blue Prince is an exceptional puzzle game, and one that we didn’t necessarily ask for in its roguelike form. While the game provides you with a clear objective at the start, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a lot more than one final objective to keep you coming back to Blue Prince, even after finding the 46th room. Once in a while, a game comes along and changes the gaming landscape for the foreseeable future. With the arrival of Blue Prince, I expect to see more games coming in a similar mold over the next few years. While some will hit and some will miss, I doubt many will have the same lasting impact as Blue Prince.

With constant rewards and unlocks combined with some great visuals, sound and awesome playability, Rayman Legends stretches your dollar to the max and is absolutely worth the price of admission.

Hogwarts Legacy is one of the all-time great surprises in my 25+ years of gaming. I love everything about it. The world is stunning. The combat is both satisfying and challenging. And it’s reignited my love for something seemingly lost to space and time. Overnight, Avalanche Software has cemented itself as a triple-A developer, delivering a game that belongs in conversations with the very best. Class is in session, folks.

‘Braid, Anniversary Edition’ is tremendous. It takes everything the original did so well and tweaks it just enough to feel fresh while maintaining its identity. Fans of the original will have a blast discovering what all is new. Newcomers will be astounded at the quality of what is often considered one of the greatest games of all time. Whether you belong to the former or the latter, do yourself a favor and don’t miss this.

I've mentioned some minor problems and disappointments, but I mean what I said at the top. This is the most impressive Doom game iD has developed. The ingenuity and evolution of its gameplay, while remaining true to itself, is outstanding, along with an epic campaign to complement it. The Doom Dance in The Dark Ages is addictive, and I'm stoked to continue playing.

With remasters, the question is always whether owners of one version should pony up for the newest iteration. Any PC gamer who doesn’t already own The Last of Us Part II on console should definitely pick this up. It still overshadows most narrative action adventure games released in the past few years. If you already have the remaster on PS5, the new content is coming your way. The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC is a fantastic way to experience both the original game and some very worthwhile extras.

Astro Bot is a delightful adventure that blends original ideas with a solid platforming foundation, delivering an experience that has long been missing from the PlayStation Studios catalog. Each level introduces something new which exhibits the creativity of the talented development team. While the game is a charming and stress-free journey, it also offers optional levels for those seeking a greater test. Astro Bot isn’t just a must-play for genre fans; it fills a significant gap in Sony’s lineup. Being a strong contender for Game of the Year, this is a must-have for every PlayStation owner.

On the scale of Final Fantasy games, Remake still soars. The story is laid out with an auteur’s obsessive eye, every scene plucking the heart strings. the battles are a breezy, yet bloody, affair that never goes stale. The graphics are ridiculous, turning every character into a model-beautiful specter sure to haunt your dreams. More than a steady grasp towards the platonic Final Fantasy ideal, this game achieves something unusual. Here then, is the Final Fantasy VII you remember, the shining vision of your youth, untouched by the decays of time. Wherever Square Enix goes from here, we can’t possibly get there soon enough. Miss out on Final Fantasy VII: Remake at your peril.

For all its glorious visuals, endless modes, and virtual reality additions, the game of Tetris needs not more than a set of reliable input methods to snatch a dozen hours from right before your eyes. Tetris Effect is a confident, yet elegant, take on the simplest game in the world and a sheer masterclass of game design, at that.

For years our appetite grew for the Cuphead expansion, and while The Delicious Last Course can be gobbled up within a few hours, it was definitely worth the wait. The love and passion that is within every thread of the creation are evident throughout and make each moment a pleasure to play. Bosses ascend to new levels of greatness and are a benchmark for the genre. The expressive jazz score and the faithful design help to make this finger-licking dollop of DLC an absolute masterpiece.

Inscryption appears to be a very niche roguelite deck-building card game. But it turns into so much more. It’s a must play for anyone who is a fan of experimental videogame storytelling. Anyone remotely curious, who enjoys a great mystery, should also play without hesitation. This is the highest review score I’ve given in a while, and I wasn’t drawn to the base gameplay at all. Inscryption is a special game, and a wholly unique experience. It’s going to be remembered as a benchmark of videogame storytelling years from now. I could not be more shocked or impressed.

God of War isn’t just a great God of War game, it’s the best so far. Sony Santa Monica has clearly put love into this latest title of the series and has given both longtime fans and newcomers a monumental gaming achievement. Put your fears to rest – yes, Kratos is getting older, but even after all this time, he’s better than ever.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is the package fans have been waiting years for. They missed the mark with the HD remake, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, but I’m happy to report Vicarious Visions and Activision have perfectly rebuilt the original two Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater titles from the ground up. There are plenty of new things added to the reimagining of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, and they’re all welcome additions. Nothing feels out of place and includes a lot more content than expected. Time has flown by through my first playthrough of the two campaigns, and I know I’m just getting started with all of the online and local multiplayer potential. This great package leaves me wanting more.

This Final Fantasy VII project is a massive undertaking of an impossible scale. A single release stretched into three games? Preposterous. And yet, so far the team is totally nailing it. The first game was a smash hit, and Rebirth runs laps around it in almost every way. The performances, the plot, and the gameplay are all much improved. With a couple of notable exceptions. While I hated one or two sections with venomous passion, they aren't enough to spoil the experience. The game is less than perfect, but not by much. If you've been hotly anticipating this release, you were right to do so. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a fantastic follow-up to a pretty incredible game.